My new secret for choosing the perfect paint color

Hi guys! I am so excited to share how I chose the perfect blue green paint color for my laundry room! I knew in my head what I wanted, but actually finding the right color can be a challenge.

I’ve never wanted to buy samples because I feel like it’s a waste of money, but seriously…get samples! I know everyone talks about getting samples. If you’re anything like me you go into the paint store and you think you’ve found the perfect color so why bother with sample? Then you order a gallon of paint, walk out, put it on the wall and think, “Ummmmm, what have I just done?”

Usually I just live with whatever color I’ve chosen. Some have definitely been better than others and some I’ve totally fallen in love with. (Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray! The perfect creamy gray beige.) But this time with the laundry room, it wasn’t happening. I had a very specific color in mind and the color of Aquafresh toothpaste just wasn’t it. So back to the paint store I went.

I got samples.

To give you an idea (those of you who are introverts and afraid of asking people things), the first time I got samples at my local store (Miller Paint which I highly recommend if you live Oregon or Washington and have a local store.) it was $6 for a quart (which I didn’t really need all of). I wasn’t really in love with any of those colors so I decided I’d try a Benjamin Moore go-to on Pinterest. Their samples were about a cup size and were $4.

Something you want to consider when choosing a paint color that I see happening frequently these days is that what you see on Pinterest isn’t necessarily the color it is in person (Which is why I was hesitant to use a popular color I’ve seen floating around Pinterest). People use different filters, different camera settings, and edit photos to look a certain way. All of this distorts the actual color you’re seeing in a picture. Which is why I’m trying to get a good picture of it. Currently the weather is super dreary here in the Pacific Northwest and I can’t get a well lit shot in my partially underground basement laundry room. For the time being, this is the best that I can do.

So, what is my secret you ask? Here’s what I did. I got a sample of Benjamin Moore’s Palladian Blue. I’d seen it on Pinterest and always liked it, but like I said, I was hesitant. I really liked the tones in it on my wall. Like was almost in love, but it was a bit dark, especially in a small space. Now, if you’ve looked at this color on Pinterest you’re probably thinking “Really? Too dark? That color seems pretty light.” This is what I’m talking about! Be careful with pictures online.

So, after putting the SAMPLE on my wall I went into my local paint store and told them I really liked this color, but it was too dark. Can we somehow make it lighter? When you mix paint you can always add more tint, but you can’t take tint away. What I mean is, you can change the color or make it darker, but you can’t make it lighter. I know it seems like adding white would make it lighter, but it doesn’t work that way with paint.

The paint experts suggested starting with a quarter of the tint and working up from there in the darkness level. So I got Palladian Blue mixed at a quarter of the tint, came home, put a little on the wall (I just used what was on the lid), and let it dry. I decided I wanted it a bit darker so I went back and had them add a quarter more. This way I didn’t have to buy samples. The guys at my paint store are SUPER nice, friendly, and helpful and had absolutely no problem with any of this. I came home, used the paint from the lid again, painted it on the wall, let it dry, and thought “Yep, this is what I was looking for!”

Make sure and let it dry. When I first put the paint mixed at half tint on the wall I thought I might want it darker, but it turned out being perfect once it dried.

I don’t know that I will ever not do this again. Even if I think I really like a color that is a lighter shade I might start with less tint just to be on the safe side, especially since I seem to be drawn to lighter tones anyway.

I hope this helps and I’ll be back soon for my secret on cutting in at the top of your wall near the ceiling that makes your walls look clean and crisp!

Just one more thing to add with extra paint. There is a program called Paint Care. If you live in Oregon (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington DC, Maine, Minnesota, Rhode Island, or Vermont all work the same according to this website.) there is an extra fee when you buy paint. This is so you can recycle old paint. The website is www.paintcare.org and you can find places where you can drop off old paint (along with a few other products) to be recycled.